1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a contact lens cleaner which is used to clean a contact lens surface. In particular, it relates to a contact lens cleaner, which is used to remove dirt or stains sticking or firmly adhering to a contact lens surface by rubbing it against the lens surface.
2. Description of Prior Art
Conventional cleaners to remove dirt or stains sticking (firmly adhering) to a contact lens are described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. 192922/1982 and 6215/1981. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 192922/1982 proposes a cleaner containing a granular polymer such as an organic polymer (polyethylene, nylon 12, etc.), a polysiloxane polymer, or the like, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6215/1981 proposes a cleaner comprised of an inorganic substance per se such as alumina, or the like.
Since, however, the granular polymer contained in the cleaner disclosed in the above Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 192922/1982 has very low polishing strength, such a cleaner is not satisfactory for the removal of dirt or stains sticking or firmly adhering to a lens surface.
On the other hand, the cleaner disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6215/1981 contains an inorganic polishing agent (average particle diameter: 10 .mu.m) comprised of an inorganic substance having high polishing strength. Such a cleaner therefore involves serious problems in that it scrapes the surface of a contact lens itself and, as a result, damages or deforms the lens. For this cleaner, the use of an inorganic polishing agent having a fine particle diameter might be taken into consideration in order to overcome the problem. However, the problem is that if the particle diameter is reduced (e.g. 0.1 .mu.m as an average particle diameter), the inorganic polishing agent itself is liable to remain on a lens surface, and cannot be removed easily by washing.